Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway – Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway is investigating a stability incident that occurred last week on Saipem’s semisubmersibleScarabeo 8.
The rig was drillingwell 7220/10 for Eni Norge on the Salina prospect in the Barents Sea when it developed a 5.7° list due to unintentional filling of a ballast tank.
The incident triggered an alarm and mustering of personnel. There were 140 people on board. However, the situation was swiftly normalized.
Weather at the time was good, with a wind speed of 20 knots and significant wave height of 2.1 m (7 ft) and maximum waves of 4 m (13 ft).
Initial findings suggest the incident was caused by incorrect operation of equipment.
PSA has closely monitored the operations of both Eni and Saipem following the incident. On Monday, it held meetings with the responsible companies to obtain more information about the course of events and further actions. The investigation will focus on Saipem’s management of capacity and competence.
9/12/2012
